B.CORK TECHNOLOGY AND THE SCIENCE REQUIRED TO CREATE A 100% BIODEGRADABLE CORK JERSEY

The B.CORK coating technology is the result of 5 years of research by the textile producer TINTEX and is developed through a new process that can be applied to knits and fabrics, giving them advanced technical and aesthetic properties, such as flexibility and impermeability, with minimal environmental impact. B.CORK uses an innovative water-based polyurethane coating, free of formaldehydes or conventional solvents, where waste from cork stoppers are incorporated in the production and finishing phases .

In 2018, when we produced the first prototype, we realized that although this textil  had already been used in fashion shows and exhibitions, the recipe had resistance limitations, which did not allow its use in a daily context with SOBRI's quality and sustainability standards. After researching about this new approach and the potential of biosynthetic fabrics in reducing CO2 emissions from the textile industry, we realized that although polymers from fossil fuels are still used, this is one of the least toxic solution and one of the most likely to be successful at scale in the creation of resistant, waterproof fabrics based on a truly circular economy.

Over the past 3 years, SOBRI has worked with TINTEX to improve the strength of the jersey while increasing the percentage of organic matter and cork used. In 2021 we reached a new version which uses natural cork powder in the form of a coating layer in a raw cotton base - this new recipe, unique in the world, is made of approx 60% organic matter and represents a key step in the use of natural cork in technical textiles that can become 100% biodegradable.

We are committed to keep working on the creation of a fabric made entirely in Portugal that, like cork, is durable, recyclable and biodegradable. We believe that the urgency in finding new alternatives to fossil fuels combined with the scientific advances in the creation and synthesis of biopolymers will allow this to become a reality in the coming years.